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About this Event

There is an ancient saying that “Zen and Tea are One Flavour”. Without the understanding of one, there is no mastery of the other. Zen refers to the meditative mind itself, and as such, Zen is non-sectarian as all of us have access to the meditative mind.

In this two-day urban retreat, we will dive deeper into the practices of Tea and Meditation. It will include a deeper exploration of the foundation and basic brewing methods of Bowl Tea, an introduction to Qigong practice, and a Siddham script calligraphy workshop, supported by guided and walking meditation practices.

You will begin to explore how daily living can be approached as a moving meditation and receive the tools to cultivate a routine and deepen in a self-practice. This offering will include two simple plant-based meals each day from Sakti Elixir.

We encourage the majority of the two-day retreat period to be held in noble silence and be technology free.

This workshop is an introduction to the practice of ‘Cha Dao’ - The Way of Tea.We will share bowls of tea and begin to unpack the history, lore and tradition of Tea Ceremony which was first shared by Zen Monks, and discuss what it means to live a life of Tea. We will learn about the tradition of Tea as a medicine to cultivate an equanimous mind. The basic brewing methods and tools needed to incorporate Tea (leaves in a bowl) as a daily ritual practice will also be shared.

Resham Daswani is the Tea Curator at Fivelements Habitat. She is committed to conscious evolution. Growing up in Hong Kong and raised in an Indian Hindu tradition, she has always been connected to rituals and ceremonies of the East. Her deep reverence for nature and passion for the workings of the universe sparked her interest in yoga and meditation at a young age. She began studies of scriptures which guided her towards the lineage and tradition of 'Cha Dao' taught by her teacher Wu De, in Taiwan. She has since returned to Hong Kong with a dedication to share an awakening of harmony through Tea Ceremonies and organic living teas.

2. Meditation with Crystal Goh, PhD | (Daily)

-Guided Zen Meditation: We will practice Zen (Ch’an, dhyana or jhana) meditation in the Chogye and Linji lineages. This grounding form of meditation allows us to access a deeper form of awareness that penetrates beyond words and thoughts. Practitioners will experience focus, vitality and harmony.

-Guided Metta Meditation: We will practice metta (loving-kindness) meditation in the Vipassana tradition. This form of meditation is a wonderful practice for cultivating compassion, loving-kindness and gratitude towards self and others.

-Walking Meditation: This embodied meditation is universally practiced across traditions of Buddhism. Participants will learn to apply the deep and focused awareness in this dynamic meditation as we walk in silence through the forest. Walking meditation is very practical for learning how to bring meditation back into our daily lives.

Crystal Goh, PhD, is a neuroscientist, Zen practitioner and a certified Mindfulness teacher with 6000+ hours of formal meditation training across Asia and US. She is also a teacher for WiseHeart, China’s largest mindfulness platform, having worked alongside teachers such as Jack Kornfield and Jon Kabat Zin. She has led meditation retreats, workshops and classes in China and US for participants of all ages and backgrounds, from tech giants like Google and Alibaba to patients in hospitals to children and adults interested in meditation. Crystal is currently the founder of Insight Science, a scientific consultancy bridging contemplative science with mind-body practices to deliver evidence-based programs.

The style of Qigong which will be shared is the Hun Yuan Qigong which is often translated as “Primordial Qigong” which was developed by the late Tai Chi Master Feng Zhiqiang in Beijing but has Taoist Alchemical origins. The qigong is based upon relaxation and clearing of the energy body and then using internal rotations and circular motion of the body to generate a charged energetic state called Hun Yuan or the basic potential state from which all Yin / Yang energy arises. The participants will leave feeling energized and with a basic understanding of how to combine their qigong practice with their everyday movements.

Bernard Kwan is a practitioner of traditional Chinese arts including qigong, tea, incense, yijing and calligraphy. He has studied Eastern martial arts for over 20 years and is master of Tai Chi, Baguazhang and various forms of Qigong.

Through this workshop, the participants are allowed to enter the mysterious world of the Secret Word of “Siddham Seed text”. The course will includes a brief introduction to the calligraphy, chanting, and meaning of the zhēnyán (mantra) seeds text, as well as allowing participants to experience the miraculously joy of writing the “Siddham bija script”

During the period of Buddhism in China, the Buddhist scriptures are based on the note writing. For example, during the period of the three great masters of the Kaiyuan era, Śubhakarasiṃha (Zenmui-Sanzō 善無畏三蔵), Vajrabodhi (Kongōchi-Sanzō 金剛智三蔵) and Amoghavajra (Fukūkongō-Sanzō 不空金剛三蔵) introduce the classics of pure esotericism such as “Mahavairocana Tantra” and “Vajraśekhara Tantra”, which became the classics of Buddhism scripture and the practice of Siddham can be divided into two simple usages. The first style is the written style, that is, the Sanskrit characters derived from the Sanskrit literatures. The second is semantic understanding, that is, language with a certain meaning. According to the esoteric teachings, the seed word is not just a written word, but also the appearance and posture of a Buddha, because each word represents a deity.

Mr Steve Cheung orAjari Xuán Shí has over 20 years of exposure to the Dharma, having first practiced Zen Buddhism and learned the essence of Buddhist classics such as the "The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" and "Diamond Sutra". It is believed that the method of Zen refers directly to the human heart, and uses the state of "mind" to enlighten one's wisdom, this purity of insight has established a solid foundation for Dharma practice: directly showing that we are, the true nature of the Buddha's nature, and seeing is the Buddha.

He became the “Ajari” of the Hong Kong Branch of the “Chinese Buddhist Shingon Buddhism Universal Brightness Sect" founded by Master Wu Gang, vowing to carry forward Shingon Buddhism ’s true spirit of oneness after being carefully instructed by Master Shih Che-hung.

He teaches the Sanskrit seed text study and mantra learning courses to promote the spirit of altruistic altruism. Currently, he is one of the mentors of the "HKUSPACE Siddham Calligraphy for Mantras and Sutras in Sanskrit" course, and aims to promote the idea of esoteric teaching and the culture of the Siddham seed script (bija/ Seed syllable) and organize various activities to benefit the community and achieve the purpose of benefiting others to express the Buddhist's universal love and light shine through more people.

Mr. Chan Hon Chuen or Xuan Shuo Ajari is a freelance art creator. Hong Kong's premier professional creative advertising photographer. His works have won many awards and awards in Hong Kong, Asia Pacific and international competitions.In a chance meeting of Teacher Xuanjue. Later, he followed Teacher Xuanjue (Dajindou -Doctrines Buddhist teacher) and studied Vajrayāna buddism. Encouraged by his teacher, he converted to "Chinese Mantra Zong Guangliu", and followed Master Che Hong . He received the kanjō ritual and became a veritable secret Buddhist Dharma teacher (Ajari).In May 2019, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, an exhibition of Buddhist art works sponsored by the Chinese Institute of Intelligent Management, which displayed his works of Mandala, Siddham seed words in the"Diamond Realm" and “Womb Realm”, which attracted much attention.

While practicing the esoteric Buddhist method, Xuan Shuo Ajari come across the mysterious “Siddham bija script”. These special symbols, Siddham text, contain different meanings and history. So deeply attracted by it. As one continues to dig deeper, one would finally experienced the incredible spirit and its application in the practice of cultivation.For the for prosperity of 'Siddham bija script', Xuan Shuo Ajari is currently teaching the “Siddham Seed Text Workshop" at the School of Professional and Continuing Education, The University of Hong Kong.